Dabbling

The days here are so peaceful and filled with good people, it’s sometimes hard to write about anything that’s ‘happening’. The days just flow, one into the other. It’s quite nice.

During these last two weeks that I’m here I’ll be working more than in the past to fill in for those snowbird volunteers who have already ‘flown the coop’. That means that I’ll actually be living up to the ‘contract’ for hours worked for my site. And I’ll be seeing all the visitors as they pass through the doors, in a steadily decreasing trickle, as the days get warmer.

Around the beginning of last month we had a young seasonal ranger come – he’ll be leaving next week to go to Yellowstone National Park for the summer. One of the nicest men I’ve met in a long time. He’s young and eager to serve, and he has the personable qualities that one would like to experience from a ranger when arriving at a national park. I told him I felt like his cheerleader. He recently began giving tours of the park (just last week) and he’s received rave reviews from the visitors.

Yesterday I worked with a woman who has been volunteering for many years. She will be 92 on Tuesday. My young ranger friend went up to the Tubac market and got some yummy double chocolate cake and tiramisu, and some birthday candles to celebrate her birthday. What a thoughtful and generous thing for him to do. He told me it’s the kind of thing he loves to do. AND he can make an apple pie – with pie crust made from scratch!

One of my favorite things to do here has been to go on the walking tours provided by the docents, to get a glimpse of how each one tells the story of this place. I’ve been taking my camera with me and photographing them, to add to the park’s album for future annual yearbooks. One of our tour guides gets into character, dressed as a Jesuit priest. It’s pretty awesome to see him on the grounds.

A couple of weeks ago the volunteers were honored with a dinner and awards for their efforts. Because I’d attended almost all the training events (I missed one), I received a certificate for $25 at the Greek/Mexican restaurant right across the street from the park. I decided to take my friend who runs the park bookstore to lunch for her birthday, which is actually today. We had a great Greek salad and gyros. Yum!

So it’s not like I’m doing anything ‘exciting’ – it’s just that I’m going with the flow here, and things do happen, quietly. I like that.

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2 thoughts on “Dabbling”

Another very interesting and well done post Su! Your sojourn there seems to have been very stimulating for you. I am sure too that those you connected with have also benefited…..

Two more weeks? Then what?….. Do you have a plan yet? I have another new lady friend who is a wanna be FT RV’r….. She is in La Quinta, CA….. around Palm Springs/Desert Hot Springs….. With your permission, I will send her your e-dress…??? I did connect her with Laveda’s blog and she was pleased with that. Did you connect with Laveda?
It is pretty warm over here today….91* now…. good strong breeze is welcome…..

Very nice piece today! Nice new people to connect with, plus, it appears to me that you are beginning to enter “BEING” sometimes even more. It is a welcome relief from all of the turmoil some friends are in right now. It is an opportunity to regenerate as well as to see into the void. :O)
Love, Bobbie